Child, Parental, and Family-Related Characteristics Associated with Caregiver Burden Among Parents of Children With β-Thalassemia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors

  • Nanang Saprudin Universitas Bhakti Husada Indonesia
  • Nanang Saprudin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58439/hnp.v4i2.623

Keywords:

β-thalassemia, caregiver burden, parent caregivers, family nursing, health promotion

Abstract

Background: Parents of children with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia experience continuing treatment-related, emotional, and practical caregiving demands.

Purpose: To examine associations between child-, parental-, and family-related characteristics and parent-reported caregiver burden among parents of children with β-thalassemia receiving routine transfusion therapy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 104 parents consecutively recruited at a tertiary referral hospital in Indonesia from August 2025 to February 2026. Caregiver burden was assessed using an 8-item instrument adapted from the Caregiver Strain Index. Variables meeting a prespecified bivariate screening criterion of p < .25 were entered simultaneously into multiple linear regression. Bootstrap estimation used 2,000 resamples. Sensitivity analysis excluded the observation with the highest centered leverage (.501).

Results: Mean caregiver burden was 20.10 (SD = 4.94). The original model was significant, F (8, 95) = 3.569, p = .001, explaining 23.1% of the variance (adjusted R² = .166). Compared with homemaker/unemployed mothers, burden was lower among self-employed (B = −4.498, p = .009) and civil-servant mothers (B = −8.020, p = .001). After sensitivity analysis, the overall model remained significant, F (7, 94) = 3.111, p = .005, whereas the self-employment association was no longer significant (B = −4.461, p = .187).

Conclusions: The overall multivariable model was associated with caregiver burden, but individual associations were not consistently robust. Maternal employment warrants cautious interpretation because of very small subgroup sizes. Family-centered nursing assessment should consider employment within the broader caregiving and family context.

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Published

2026-10-31

How to Cite

Saprudin, N., & Saprudin, N. (2026). Child, Parental, and Family-Related Characteristics Associated with Caregiver Burden Among Parents of Children With β-Thalassemia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Holistic Nursing Plus, 4(2), 203–223. https://doi.org/10.58439/hnp.v4i2.623

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): Holistic Nursing Plus

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Articles

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